Press Releases

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Team Esperanza departs this week for the impoverished highlands of Guatemala on a medical and community development mission that will help change the lives of more than a thousand people. For the 4th year in a row, the mission is sponsored in part by AMN Healthcare, which sends both medical and community development volunteers.

Team Esperanza is part of HELPS International, a non-profit organization that provides social and health programs through a system of partnership and mutual responsibility in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico.

"HELPS International does absolutely incredible work helping the people of Guatemala: Team Esperanza's weeklong mission will improve the lives of more than a thousand people in need," said Susan Salka, President and CEO of AMN Healthcare. "The entire AMN team nationwide is very proud to make this mission the centerpiece of our global corporate social responsibility."

Team Esperanza, which leaves on Saturday for Huehuetanango, Guatemala, includes a team of healthcare professionals that administers surgical, dental, obstetric, pediatric and other types of care to residents of Guatemala's rural highlands. For many people, treatment by Team Esperanza is the only medical care they ever receive.

Community development volunteers focus on installing water filters for purification and ONIL stoves, which utilize 70% less wood than the open, indoor fires usually used for cooking. The ONIL stoves vent toxic wood smoke out of the home and reduce the risk of serious burns. The mission to install stoves and water filters helps reduce many health problems that are treated by the medical mission, such as eye and respiratory diseases from smoke, hernias from carrying large loads of wood, and gastrointestinal and other illnesses caused by impure water.

AMN Healthcare is sending 32 participants, including both healthcare professionals for medical services and company volunteers for community development. This year's Team Esperanza mission will include a record number of 125 volunteers and 15 Guatemalan staff in both the clinical and community development teams. Last year's mission resulted in 112 surgeries, 1,178 patient visits and the installation of 76 stoves.

About HELPS International HELPS International's mission is to provide enduring programs of practical, social and spiritual value to people in the developing world. HELPS strives for permanent change through its programs, which promote mutual respect, responsibility and partnership within the local infrastructure based on the inherent value of the individual. HELPS support includes four main program areas of education, healthcare, economic development and home transformation utilizing award-winning ONIL products. HELPS International began its mission in Guatemala in 1984, and today has programs in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Haiti.

About AMN Healthcare AMN Healthcare is the leader and innovator in healthcare workforce solutions and staffing services to healthcare facilities across the nation. The Company provides unparalleled access to the most comprehensive network of quality healthcare professionals through its innovative recruitment strategies and breadth of career opportunities. With insights and expertise, AMN Healthcare helps providers optimize their workforce to successfully reduce complexity, increase efficiency, and improve patient outcomes. AMN delivers managed services programs, healthcare executive search solutions, vendor management systems, recruitment process outsourcing, predictive modeling, medical coding and consulting, and other services. Clients include acute-care hospitals, community health centers and clinics, physician practice groups, retail and urgent care centers, home health facilities, and many other healthcare settings. For more information about AMN Healthcare, visit www.amnhealthcare.com.